Is he on any medications besides Trileptal? Have you asked the prescribing doctor about tics related to any medications?
Tics are a biological condition that occurs in up to 18 percent of boys and 11 percent of girls (so it's actually quite common). Tics are thought to be related to too much activity by the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepineprhine. Anxiety, as well as viruses, can exacerbate tics, but do not cause tics. Stimulant medications prescribed for ADHD can also exacerbate tics.
All Tourette's Syndrome is is a mixed vocal and motor tic disorder that has an onset of before 18 years old and lasts for at least one year. My son does not meet the criteria for Tourette's Syndrome because his tics are only motor; his diagnosis therefore is tic disorder.
